The White Pine news. [volume] (Treasure City, Nev.) 1868-1906, 1887-03-26
a WHITE PINE muRDERER,
Dan Matheney. will Ask 70 De Par
doned.

Dan Matheney, Will Ask 70 be Par
doned.
Many of the old residents of this
county remember the horrible and
cold-blooded murder of man named
Green at Pinto Creek, in 1878, and the
subsequent arrest and conviction of
Matheney as one of the perpetrators of
the crime. Green came dewn from
Oregon with band of horses to sell
and had Matheney and another man
in his employ. One night they en-
tered Green's tent and Drained him
with an AK. They then took the body
and buried it under dam that crossed
the creek. Matheney's accompice
was arrested ut the same time, but
through his smartness was acquitted
by the committing Justice, jumped
the country and las never been heard
of since. Matherey was sentenced to
be hanged in 1874 at Hamilton, and
the scaifold WAS erected for that pur-
pose. At the last hour his sentence
was committed by the Board of Par
dons to life imprisonment, on account
of his youth. His accomplice, who
was an older man, as before stated,
escaped altogether. The following
letter, from the unfortunate young
man, we publish, and from it we are
of the opinion that Matheney is a fit
subject from clemency:
CARSON, March IA, 1887.
Ed. Silver ate:--Having seen in
your paper of last Saturday a state.
ment copied from the Walla Walla
Journal in regard to myself and the
crime for which am now undergoing
a life sentence in the Nevada State
Prison, feel assured, Mr.. Editor,
that you would not knowingly mis-.
represent the case, as it is bad enough.
But for the Walla Walla Journal to
paint il blacker, and the same to be
copied in most of the Pacific Coast
journals, will have tendency to injure
me when my case shall come before
the Board of Pardons, which meets
next July. Now, Mr.. Editor, | will
give you the facts of my case. have
now been imprisoned nearly fourteen
long years, and God knows in that
long term, life time to me, have
suffered for the crime committed.
At the time l committed the crime
was an iliterate. ignorant youth, 10
years old, hardly able to discern right
from wrong. could neither read nor
write, and was misled by an Older
person, who has never suffered days
imprisonment. Since coming here l
have taught myself tn read aud write,
and can now fully see the folly of my
past life. / WAS in my youth in the
dark, and easily led astray; am now
in my manhood aud can see clear,
aud, Mr.. + Iitor, confident that | could
become II good citizen.
Ny crime was committed in White
Pine county, and the story about cut.
ting off the head and it being found in
a sack is made out of whole cloth,
nothing Of the kind ever having taken
place. never wrote to Walla Walla
to- anyone for assistance. | wrote to
a friend of mine in Willamette Valley
TO go and see man there who owed
me money for working for him when
| was boy. Now, Mr.. Editor, in
conclusion, l am penniless, friendless,
and what education | now have | had
to teach myself during my lonely
hours confined in cell, and after IA
years confinement, for a crime COM
mitted when boy, shall apply to
the Board of Pardon's for pardon,
and if the Walla Walla journal can
consistently call that impotence, why,
then, | am impudent. Ny aged par
ents are living, and should like once
more to see them in their declining
years. l have been listening TO the
clergymen who have been visiting the
Prison for years, and they have
preached, at is human to err, divine
to forgive" Can |, in my case, think
these preachers of the gospel have told
me what l hope to expectl
DAN. B. MATHENEY.